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What role for the Battlefield Trust?

Chris Skidmore says they should be a statutory consultee who have to be told, by law, about planning applications affecting battlefield.

He said campaign group would be able to advice applicants to avoid the situation we now have at Bosworth.

18:11Dan Martin

Bosworth MP David Tredinnick now enters the debate

Opponents of the plan will be grinding their teeth.

He says this is a battle between the old and the new.

He says local opinion is not with Mr Skidmore and that only one per cent of the battlefield will be affected.

18:08Dan Martin

Now Chris Skidmore sums up....

He thanks all the MPs for their contribution - particularly David Tredinnick for allowing the debate on what could be considered a constituency matter.

He reminds SNP MP DAvid Linden, who said he felt an intruder in the debate, that Scottish soldier fought on both sides at Bosworth and a Scot pinched RIchard III’s crown on the night before the battle.

He said it has been an important debate and again highlights inadequacies in the laws protecting battlefields

“These sites are crucial in our national heritage. Once they are gone they are gone. Once they are built over we can no longer access the ability to look archeologically at what took place there.”

He urges councillors to vote down the plan on on September 25 or hold MIRA to account ensuring the maximum investment in archeological excavations and a digital recreation of the battle.

He said he found it bizarre that having dug up a king generating an enormous amount of tourism revenue for Leicester (£45m) we are now about to tarmac over part of the battlefield.

And he sits.

It’s all over.

See you on September 25.

17:54Dan Martin

The minister sums up...

Again he stresses it’s not a decision for him but for local planners.

He’ll look at how there might be better protection for battlefields.

“I have every faith our historic battlefields will continue to be conserved in an appropriate and steadfast manner.

“Where issues arrive I expect local authorities to conserve treasured national assets and ensure they are protected for future generations to enjoy.”

17:49Dan Martin

Hope to include the Battlefield Trust declared a statutory consultee

In true politician’s style he says he will discuss this. No firm commitment though.

17:47Dan Martin

Only 43 of the 47 registered battlefields are at risk....

...says Mr Ellis.

That’s not what Kevin Brennan suggested earlier.

He says watchdog Historic England plays an important part in planning applications and that the current system is robust.

17:42Dan Martin

It's time to hear from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Arts, Heritage and Tourism

He’s Michael Ellis.

He talks of the importance of battlefields.

He says they are an important anchor to the evolution of our country and a reminder of our past.

He goes on to say this will be a local decision and stresses that if there will be less than ‘significant harm’ to the battlefield the council must weigh up that against the public benefit of any development.

This is what council planners said and they recommended the scheme be approved.

He says it is not appropriate to comment on the Bosworth plan but said he would expect the council to weigh up the matters.

17:34Dan Martin

Shakespeare butchered

Mr Brennan is quoting The Bard -

“In Shakespeare’s version of the battle Richard III cried out in anguish ‘A horse, a horse. My Kingdom for a horse. He did not cry ‘A driverless car, a driverless car. My kingdom for an autonomous vehicle.”

*Some chuckles*

“Technological progress is important but not at the expense of our essential heritage.”

He says he hopes the local authority will take a ‘longer view’.

17:27Dan Martin

To nobody's great surprise...

...the MPs are lauding parliamentary victories in the English Civil War stressing how important they were to establishing democracy.

17:24Dan Martin

What are the risks to battlefields?

Mr Brennan cites the 2015 Heritage at Risk register.

Of the 46 registered battlefields 8 are at risk from development, 16 from farming and 10 have been subjected to unregulated metal detecting.

He’s talking about the importance of battlefields to the economy through tourism.

17:22Dan Martin

An intervention from Winston Churchill...

Stony-faced: Winston Churchill, with his wife Clementine Churchill, in Leicester, where he was adopted as Liberal candidate for the West Division, in November 1923.

Mr Brennan quotes the Second World War Prime Minister who described battlefields as the ‘punctuation marks of history’

.... He said he was surprised at David Tredinnick’s position in opposing Mr Skidmore’s view.

He’s a former history teacher.

He is acknowledging modern day pressures on battlefields but says they should ‘where possible be preserved’

17:13Dan Martin

The SNP front bench weighs in

David Linden says he feels like ‘an intruder’ in this debate but says “We must ensure we both preserve and cherish historic battlefields for generations to come and frankly to do anything otherwise is historical vandalism.”

17:10Dan Martin

'Inspirational places of honour, valour and sacrifce'

That’s how Jack Lopresti MP has described battlefields.

He talking about the battle of Landsdown Hill in the Civil War - the Parliamentary defence of Bath.

He says how important it is to be able to see the landscape of 1643 to be able to understand the battle.

He says the case of Bosworth is shocking and could disturb important battlefield archeology.

It’s worth noting Horiba MIRA has already funded archeological studies of the planning site and would pay for more battlefield studies should they get permission.

It says it will increase knowledge of the battle.

17:02Dan Martin

'This most polite fracas'

Another MP has interjected describing this as a ‘most polite fracas’ between two Tory colleagues.

17:01Dan Martin

David Tredinnick outlines the benefits of track

Mr Tredinnick says there are 35 international companies based at MIRA Technology Park and they will be creating 1,000 more engineering jobs.

He says Horiba MIRA have invested ‘£80 million twice over’ in the area - so that’s £160 million?

He says there won’t be a huge impact on the battlefield landscape and MIRA has to build it there.

He says he does not want the investment to go elsewhere.

16:54Dan Martin

DUP MP Jim Shannon is on his feet....

... he’s giving a long history of the battle of Enniskillen

16:51Dan Martin

The same protection as areas of outstanding national beauty and national parks?

That’s what Mr Skidmore is arguing for to avoid the destruction of important historic areas.

He stresses the matter is a decision for HInckley and Bosworth Borough Council but says councillors can only work within the existing frameworks.

He says that is not in place and it is time for a national review of the protections for battlefields.

16:44Dan Martin

How many registered battlefields are there across the country?

47, as it turns out.

16:43Dan Martin

'Battlefields should not be thrown into the planning mix'

Mr Skidmore says those that argue just a small part of the overall battlefield would be covered ‘entirely misses the point’

He says it could have been the centre of the fight and the most important part

16:41Dan Martin

The council must heed the voices of objection

Mr Skidmore says not enough caution has been taken over the Bosworth plan.

He says much much more can be discovered by archeologists about the battle and the rural setting of Fenn Lane and its contours tells us much about how Henry Tudor would have approached the battle.

16:38Dan Martin

'The council must reflect on the huge number of objections'

The MP says Bosworth was one of the most historic events in English history with the death of Richard III and the birth of the Tudor dynasty.

He says he is sure the council will reflect on the huge number of submissions concerned about the plan - he references the 12,000 name petition.

16:34Dan Martin

They're off

Mr Skidmore introduces the debate on the Preservation of Historic Battlefields.